The inventive concept relates to resistive memory devices, and more particularly, to resistive memory devices capable of providing an improved fast quenching operation that results in improved distribution of constituent resistive memory cells. The inventive concept also relates to operating methods and memory systems including the resistive memory device.
Examples of non-volatile memory devices using a resistance material include phase change random access memory (PRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), and so on. A resistance value of a memory element included in a resistive memory cell of a non-volatile memory device using a resistance material varies according to a level of program current supplied to the memory element. Thus, the resistive memory cell stores information by using the difference between resistance values of the memory element. For example, in the case of a phase change memory, the difference between resistance values of a memory element therein is caused by a phase change in a phase-change material used to form the phase change memory.
However, as the capacities and integration degrees of non-volatile memory devices have increased, resistance values of variable resistors (resistor-capacitor (RC)) have increased at data lines. Thus, after switches connected to local bit lines are turned off, it takes a large amount of time to reduce a level of current flowing through memory cells. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a method of rapidly reducing a level of current flowing through memory cells.